Spike’s Junkyard Dogs, Davis Square location will be closing this Friday, November 30. Anyone looking for their Spike’s Junkyard Dogs fix should stop in by midnight on Friday. For those customers that visit between now and Saturday, they will be given a coupon for a Free Hot Dog or Veggie Dog that may be redeemed at one of two other locations: 108 Brighton Ave., Allston or 1076 Boylston St. (corner Mass. Ave.), Boston. They thank everyone for their patronage in Davis Square and look forward to seeing everyone in Allston or the Back Bay.

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2012 Holiday Events were announced today. The city’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place Thursday, December 6 at 5:30 p.m. on the City Hall Concourse, followed by a meet and greet with Santa Claus in the Somerville High School Highlander Café (atrium entrance). For the first time, this event will also include a ceremonial lighting of a Hanukkah Menorah, which will remain on the concourse throughout the season. The Christmas tree lighting ceremony will feature musical entertainment by the Somerville High School Band; the SHS Chorus and the Somerville Community Chorus; and El Sistema Somerville, the city’s new youth orchestra based on the international model. Special guest Santa Claus will be escorted by the Somerville Fire Department for the ceremony and will be available for photos following the tree lighting. All children attending the ceremony will also receive a gift from Santa.

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Illuminations Trolley Tour is scheduled for Saturday, December 15, with tours departing from the City Hall Concourse beginning at 4:30 p.m. The 45-minute tours will showcase holiday light displays in our own Somerville. Tours leave from (and return to) Somerville City Hall where coffee, hot chocolate, and cookies are served. Entertainment at City Hall includes choral music, courtesy of the Somerville Community Chorus and craft activities for children. Trolley Tour tickets will be available at the Blue Cloud Gallery, 713 Broadway, beginning Tuesday, November 27. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children and seniors. For more information visit www.somervilleartscouncil.org.

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Ward 1 ResiStat meeting will take place Tuesday, December 4 at the Cross St. Center, 165 Broadway at 7 p.m. Ward 4 will hold their meeting on Wednesday, December 5 at Healy School cafeteria, 5 Meacham St. For more information, visit http://somervilleresistat.blogspot.com and click the “Meetings” tab. Or contact Denise Taylor at dtaylor@somervillema.gov or 617-625-6600 x 2103.

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The final two planning sessions of the city’s Somerville by Design initiative will be held on Wednesday, November 28 and Thursday, November 29 at the Center for Arts at the Armory at 191 Highland Ave. Somerville by Design is the City of Somerville’s latest community planning initiative, designed to help residents and business owners visualize positive change in their neighborhoods. SomerVision and Somerville by Design are results of funding through a Challenge Grant from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Sustainable Communities Program. Community members are invited to attend any or all of a series of events, as follows: Wednesday, November 28: Open Studio, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Public Meeting, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., Thursday, November 29: Open Studio, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Art Gallery, 4:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. A project schedule and materials are available on the City’s website at www.somervillema.gov/bydesign.

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Our condolences to the family and friends of Robert R. Sorabella, who passed away recently. Bob was very well known here as a teacher, then Vice Principal of the Western Junior High, and lastly before retiring as the Principal of the Lincoln Park School. A lot of fond memories over the years with this very nice man, who greatly influenced people and was someone you could look up to. He will be missed by a lot of people here in the ‘Ville.

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Happy Birthday here in the ‘Ville to Karen MacLeod Fraser, formerly of East Somerville. The famous MacLeod family now lives in Methuen but has close ties here in Somerville. Rich Papaluca’s birthday is this week, as well as Nancy Winn’s. A big Happy Birthday to Charlene Harris, former Ward 4 School Board member, who recently told us she was happy working with the kids. She should be, she’s got a huge bunch here in the ‘Ville. Finally, little Maeve Craven, who is celebrating her birthday, and a big happy 75th to our good friend Joe Staples. Last year we wished him HB twice and Joe asked us to slow down the process by only saying it once this year. OK, Joe. Happy Birthday!

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Contrary to a silly rumor, Elio LoRusso told us personally he’s not and would not ever run against the popular Ward One Alderman Bill Roche. We wanted to make sure that rumor doesn’t go any further.

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Elio might not be running in Ward One, but we hear that the season has officially kicked off. Apparently, one local person who is challenging an incumbent alderman in Ward 5 had a fundraiser last night. From what we can hear from our sources, it wasn’t a big showing, but the usual suspects were present. You know, that funny group from the Progressive Democratic Social group? School Committeeman Mark is challenging Alderman Sean O’Donovan. We can’t figure out what record Mark is going to run on. His school committee record? Sean has done a lot for Ward 5. He hasn’t had it easy in his re-elections, but when all is said and done Sean knows how to get down to the real issues that represent what constituents are looking for in an Alderman. Look at Trum Field, Magoun Square and Ball Square for starters, not to mention all the neighborhood issues and meetings he’s attended and worked with the residents.

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Sean Fitzgerald is having a sort of “reunion or get together” of all the City Hall staffers that served under former mayor Dot Gay, at Sally O’Brien’s in Somerville this coming Thursday, November 29 at 5:30 p.m. If you worked at City Hall drop in and say “hi” to Sean and a lot of old friends.

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Vernon Street Open House Studios is this weekend, December 1 and 2. 12-6:00 p.m. at 6 Vernon Street Artist Studios.

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Looking for gift ideas? This weekend there is plenty of places to visit locally. Here are just a few ideas to start with: Union Square Winter Craft Market will take place Saturday, December 1 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Union Square Plaza and inside Precinct Bar at 70 Union Square. Handmade gifts produced by local artisans. Artisan’s Asylum is holding its first Winter Open Studios on Saturday from noon to 5 p.m., 10 Tyler St, Somerville. It’s free, open to the public, and families are welcome. So come join the fun and bring your friends. More than twenty makers, crafters, jewelers, engineers and artists will be presenting at the event. Come tour collective workshops and individual studios, observe demonstrations, purchase unique artworks and talk to their creators. Enjoy dragons, robots, collages, and interactive computer-generated music installations. Watch welders and glassworker’s first-hand, and see jewelry being printed in 3D. Local is for Lovers Pop Up Market will take place Sunday, December 2 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave. Vendors and participants alike share a common mission, to support the local economy of Somerville with holiday shopping dollars. There will also be family friendly kids’ activities by Knucklebones and Herbstalk and music from Stainless.

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So Hubway bike rentals has removed the 10 spots around the city. All are either off the streets or will be off by the end of this month. We hear that they will be back in the spring with four additional stations. We wonder how much revenue the city is collecting from them and how much revenue local businesses losing because of them.

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Thank you to the many who sent in nominations for “Somerville News Person of the Week.” We’re going to re-start immediately after the New Year. If you’d like to nominate someone send your request by email to donaldfnorton@yahoo.com with the words “nomination of Person of the Week.” There are a lot of deserving individuals out there in the ‘Ville, and ask any of those already selected. They loved it.

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Congratulations to Former Somerville Mayor Gene Brune for being bestowed the honor of being named Mayor Emeritus by Mayor Joseph Curtatone and the Board of Alderman. Emeritus means “one retired from professional life but permitted to retain as an honorary title the rank of the last office held of his office mayor.” Congratulations, Mayor Emeritus Brune!